Calling the Cleveland Cavaliers' season topsy-turvy is like calling LeBron James an adequate professional athlete. It's not just that Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade, Jae Crowder, Channing Frye, Iman Shumpert and Derrick Rose used to be on the roster; it's not just that Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, Larry Nance Jr. and George Hill have dealt with injuries; it's not just that coach Tyronn Lue had to leave the team to get his health in order. It's all of these things happening in James' contract year, with championship-or-bust expectations and a defense that still ranks No. 28 in the NBA. 

Lately, though, things are coming together nicely for Cleveland. Since Love returned on March 19, they have gone 8-1, including two wins over the Toronto Raptors, their main challenger in the Eastern Conference. On Thursday, they got a break: Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving will miss the playoffs as he recovers from knee surgery, eliminating the possibility of a revenge series for the former Cavs star. Here's a look at why the Cavs might be the favorites in the East yet again:

Cleveland is finally building some momentum

Overall the Cavs have won 10 of 12 games, but it would a mistake to read much into their recent victories over the Suns, Bulls, Nets, Hornets and Mavericks. It's more about how they are playing -- J.R. Smith has played his best basketball of the season, Nance is thriving defensively and the offense looks almost unstoppable when Love is at center. The roster makes much more sense than it did before the trade deadline, and James is getting to play in more lineups where the floor is spread and he can work his magic with ease. 

This is not to say Cleveland has -- cliche alert -- figured it out. There are still bad defensive habits on display here, and there are questions about how much guys like Thompson, Rodney Hood and Jordan Clarkson will be able to bring consistently come playoff time. Hill's ankle is still bothering him. James has been stupendous, but he and his new-ish teammates are still learning how to play together. There is a chance, though that the Cavaliers are on the way to peaking at the right time. Lue will return to the sideline on Thursday against the Washington Wizards, a potential first-round opponent. 

The Toronto matchup doesn't look all that bad anymore

Based on the Raptors' net rating -- plus-7.7 points per 100 possessions, which is third behind the Warriors' and Rockets' plus-9.0 mark -- it is fair to call them the biggest obstacle on Cleveland's path to the NBA Finals in years. Toronto is deep, balanced and, for most of the season, it has played with the belief that this is finally its time. Lately, though, that belief might have wavered. 

On March 21, the Cavs erased a 15-point deficit and dropped 132 points on the Raptors despite being shorthanded, with James picking apart their defense and finishing with 35 points, 17 assists and no turnovers. On Tuesday, Cleveland earned another narrow win in a game where Toronto looked shaky offensively. The Raptors have a talented enough roster to give the Cavs trouble, but they do not employ a LeBron stopper and they will be counting on Serge Ibaka, O.G. Anunoby and Pascal Siakam to make Cleveland pay for leaving them open. If these teams meet in the playoffs, James will do whatever he can to give Toronto the dreaded here-we-go-again feeling. Nothing the Raptors have done in their remarkable regular season has erased the matchup problems posed by James being surrounded by shooters. 

Irving's absence changes things

Even with a healthy Irving, I wouldn't have picked Boston in a series against Cleveland. If he was in the lineup, though, he would have given the Celtics much more hope. The Cavs know better than anybody how Irving can take over games, even against great defense in high-pressure situations. Boston's formula could have been to keep things close with its fantastic defense, then rely on Irving's brilliance in the clutch. That is no longer an option, and that has to be a bit of a relief for his former team.

Without Irving, it is extremely difficult to imagine Boston having much success on offense in the postseason, and this is true even against a Cleveland defense that has been porous. It feels silly to count the Celtics out entirely -- Brad Stevens is probably the league's best in-game coach, and no team has been more resilient this season -- but they do not have the firepower of a traditional contender. The recent play of Jayson Tatum and Terry Rozier has been extremely encouraging, but it would be unfair to expect Boston to do any more than get out of the first round.